Graham Onions Sees Out Last Over In England Draw
Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions saw out the last three overs and one ball to salvage a draw in the first Test at Centurion on Sunday.
Match drawn
England 2nd Innings 228/9 (Pietersen 81 Trott 69 de Wet 4/55) & 356 all out
South Africa 2nd Innings 301/7 declared (Amla 100 Anderson 4/73) & 418 all out
The Durham duo came together as a mad last hour saw England lose five wickets for just 13 runs as Friedel de Wet made inroads with the second new ball.
Collingwood shielded Onions expertly, remedying his absence at the denouement of the draw at Cardiff in the 2009 Ashes, but the number eleven had to face the final Makhaya Ntini over when Collingwood successfully pierced the infield, only for good timing to trickle the ball over the boundary.
Onions successfully survived the requisite six deliveries, including one which kept low to save the Test match and leave the series level.
England began the day with all three results possible though 364 to win seemed unlikely. Losing Alastair Cook and James Anderson for 12 and 10 early made England’s chances of victory even more remote.
South African-born batsmen Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen combined to the tune of an 145-run partnership, as Trott calmly compiled his second Test fifty in contrast to KP’s more dashing 16th.
Pietersen posted his first half century since returning after Achilles surgery, surviving a plumb LBW shout for a Morne Morkel grubber thanks to a correct no-ball call.
Pietersen seemed likely to register his third Test century against the Proteas when he charged for a single, refused by Trott.
The former England captain carried on regardless and found himself at the same end as Trott. Bowler de Wet fielded mid-stride and removed the bails.
England seemed nevertheless to be on the course to draw as Trott reached his second Test fifty following his Oval hundred and Collingwood settled in.
The harder new Kookaburra however started England’s collapse as a short rising delivery from de Wet caught Trott’s thumb and was caught one-handed by de Villiers.
Ian Bell followed his poor first innings leave with a score of two as he edged another de Wet delivery and Matt Prior was also caught behind by Mark Boucher for a duck.
Stuart Broad was the eight victim, as his dismissal caught behind off Paul Harris was upheld on appeal. Graeme Swann soon followed as his similarly desperate appeal of his LBW decision from Morkel bore no fruit.
As desperate as England were in their appeals; determined was Collingwood in defence with 26 not out off 99 balls. Onions followed his county colleague’s lead to see England home, just.
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[...] managed a desperate draw at Centurion and responded by winning at Durban; James Anderson and Monty Panesar defended defiantly at Cardiff [...]